LinkedIn and Your Career
Almost three years into my career and I have worked for three companies, all of which have been in the...
Category: Financial Advice
Nature vs. Nurture: Money Sense
I learned something very interesting recently that made me think a lot about where our money sense comes from. During a recent visit from my dad, he told me that when my grandparents bought their first house, they paid it off in 13 years using a strategy that a lot of people think of as new and maybe even trendy. At the end of each month, my grandmother would take their “left over” money down to the bank and put it towards their mortgage. They were also fierce savers, obsessively frugal, and careful with every with every single dollar. It...
Socially Responsible Investment Portfolios
Many people participating in group retirement plans do not know that they can invest their funds into socially responsible investments (SRI). Socially responsible investments such as those offered by Standard Life are in essence investment portfolios that consider concerns in our environment such as social justice, a clean and healthy environment and economic development while also taking into account all the other usual financial considerations of a retirement plan. These investments have been proven to have more return than conventional investments, while also helping improve the society by bringing monetary gain and also benefits that are more important than financial...
Do You Really Need an Emergency Fund?
An emergency fund is often times something that you don’t think about until it comes time where you need it. There are a number of items to save for including future goals such as retirement, a down payment on a home, or paying off debt. For this reason it is no surprise that an emergency fund can be pushed to the backburner. There are some cases where it is said that an emergency fund may not be necessary at all. The answer to this question has a lot to do with your current situation in life. Determining your needs is...
Smart Ways to Improve Bad Credit
We’ve all seen the commercials with the funny band playing a catchy tune and doing something goofy, all for the sake of checking your personal credit score. Bad credit is becoming a problem in the US. According to Barry Ritholtz of The Big Picture blog, 25% of Americans have bad credit. But understanding what can cause bad credit, and how to spend and invest wisely may keep you out of the bad credit score club. The popular opinion about the use of credit has been in a constant state of change over the last few generations. Years ago, credit was...
Building My Credit History: An Update
As some of you might remember, my first ever post here at This That and the MBA was about how I had no credit history. That’s right. I have a very unique problem here in the PF world. No student loans, no debt, no coming-back-from-the-edge-of-the-financial-cliff story. I literally had no credit history. I explained in the first post that this happened because I was afraid of credit cards and how I might misuse them. But, that led me to being (almost) 27 and having no credit history. Oops. I finally decided that I had a few options: open a credit...
5 Valuable Investment Principles You Should Always Follow
Before you step into the investment world, you need to be aware of some important basics and principles to follow. These include knowing where and how to invest, considering safety margins, steering clear of what sounds attractive to you and being diverse. These five tips will help you remain a wise investor. 1. Learn What Kind of Investor You Really Are Image via Flickr futureshape If you’re excited about the stock market, mutual funds and short and long-term investments do you know what kind of investor you are? Do you like risks or do you want a sure or safe...
What Does Financial Security Mean to You?
Financial security. It’s something that we’re all striving towards (especially in the PF community). But what does that really mean...
VA Loan Volume Continues to Increase
With 2012 seeing the highest volume of VA-backed mortgages in 18 years, it’s becoming more and more apparent that VA loans are the best choice of home loans for veterans. Private, more conventional loans can be extra difficult and much more expensive for veterans to acquire. VA-backed loans were literally made for veterans. Being backed by the VA allows lenders to offer things like no money down, competitive rates, and make it easier to qualify for a loan. It’s no wonder why there’s been a rise in loan numbers. But how does the VA loan process work? Getting Started The...
Venture Capital in the Twitter Age
Gone are the days when venture capitalists avoided growing their brand through self-promotion. Today most VC’s are actively engaging in social networks – like Twitter – in order to spread the word and increase awareness about their investments. The ‘tweeting’ trend is only going to grow with time, as many top Venture Capitalist firms are building marketing/promotion teams (or hiring PR agencies) to help them leverage Twitter in the best possible way. Venture Capitalists who are failing to use Twitter to foster new relationships and grow their brand are missing out on a big opportunity. How Are Venture Capitalists Using...
Where are you going…with the long face
Sorry I am a huge DMB fan and I get carried away at times. When I started my site, I was not doing any of the necessary backups to protect the integrity should the bad guys get in there and hack the site. Well come to find out, shortly on my journey into blogging, my site was hacked and malware was inserted. Sifting through lines of code that I do not understand was just the beginning. I had built up a decent amount of traffic who now had the potential to have their computers infected. Needless to say it was...
Want To Buy A House, Pay Your Student Loan Bill
I received a call recently from a friend who was trying to get pre-approved on a mortgage to buy his first home. Problem was, my friend had his credit checked by his bank and it came back that he had a defaulted student loan. Bottom line, the bank would not extend him credit even if he went back and refinanced the student loans. For my friend, Defaulted Student Loan = No Mortgage On one hand I feel really bad for my friend, but I also want to hit him in the back of the head for being clueless. Student loans...
Innovative Approach to Consumer Lending and Credit
Float Money (www.floatmoney.com), has recently unveiled a completely unique lending model which could restart the consumer credit industry. Float gives members the opportunity to access a line of credit that is repaid interest-free. Float members leverage their regular shopping with Float’s retail merchants into a tangible asset – loyalty. How Does it Work? Float members build a credit line (the Float Line) which is determined by two things: The user’s Membership Level, which is initially determined by credit score and then rises over time as the user continues to use Float. The user’s average monthly shopping through the Float network...
The Structured Settlement Institute
The goal of the Structured Settlement Institute is to provide knowledge to people about the Structured Settlement Industry, and how to conduct business with the competing firms. A major goal is to provide resources to everybody on the legal points that go along with the buying or selling of annuities and settlements. A visitor to the site can get a recommendation as to which firm will best suit their needs. Anyone that is going to be involved with structured-settlements should visit the Institute’s site and gain some knowledge on which option is best for them. The Institute knows full well...
I got 999.99 problems and money is the majority of them – $999.99 Giveaway
Today’s post is about having problems and it seems as though many of them stem from money or the lack there of. Lately it seems as though every time my wife goes to the store her grocery bill is bigger than the last one. Not only does it create friction between us because I am always asking what she is buying but it is friction in the wallet seeing the balance get depleted quickly just from a food purchase. Do you have similar situations that go on at your house that cause friction like this? Between our student loan payments,...
9 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Online Banking
Online banking brings a lot of advantages for business owners. It provides a safe and effective way of making transactions without wasting time and energy. This also gives business owners a secure platform for their finances. Online banking provides many benefits for business owners and their companies as well. There are many reasons why online banking is best for any type of business. 1. Easy Access to Accounts Business owners can easily access their accounts online. They are able to check their balances and withdraw funds from their accounts through the Internet. Owners can also see if their checks have...
Tips on Buying Your First Car
Do you remember when you went to purchase your first car? Or maybe someone went and bought it for you. This article is going to speak towards purchasing a used car, while maybe not new, it is new to you! When you approach purchasing your first car think of it like a game of poker, as you enter the room keep eye contact with the seller and try to read them to get the best deal. It is the same as being at the casino, if you can read the bluff your chances of winning increase. When looking for a car...
Home insurance can help cover your home – even for the most unlikely of events
It may seem odd to have house insurance in place to cover your home from a car driving into it – or damage from a herd of animals. But events like these can happen and it pays to be prepared. So when looking at home insurance quotes, consider the following possibilities: Vehicle or trains Although most of us would never expect a car, motorbike, lorry – or even a train – to hit our homes, it can happen. Especially if you live near a road or railway. And if it does happen, it could cause hundreds, even hundreds of thousands...
A Few Tips Before Investing
For many investing in the stock market and the forex market can be daunting without the help of their advisor. There are trader networks out there like CMC Markets that have a great deal of education and analysis which can ease some of the anxiety of investing. Sure we are all hesitant to put our money into something that might come back lower than what we put in, but we all are hoping for the upside where we withdraw at a higher amount than deposited. Take a look at the few tips to ease yourself into investing. Examine Your Personal...
Staying in Touch While Studying Abroad – They Grow Up Too Quickly
With the internet and phone now your child is never really far away even while studying abroad. Sure making a phone call in the middle of the night may not seem too appealing but technology is allowing us to stay in touch more than ever now. Looking for ways to make cheap international phone calls is essential as the international tolls can rack up quick while passing the phone between parents and the other kids at home. I have two daughters and this day seems far off now but I am sure that it will be coming up very quick....
Finding a Job at an Older Age
It goes without saying that finding a job when you are over 50is a lot harder than finding one when you are younger. While many companies and hiring managers may claim that they do not resort to age discrimination, it still exists. Many employers are biased towards older employees. They believe that workers over 50 will demand higher salaries, have low energy levels, are inflexible and are not comfortable with the latest technology. So, looking for a job under such circumstances is always a challenge. Companies are often less enthusiastic about hiring people over 50, regardless of the illustriousness of...
Tips for a Memorable Weekend Getaway
There are times when we do not have enough vacation time or just not enough funds to take a full blown vacation but we still need to get away. Have you ever been in this situation where work and life has gotten the best of you and need a little break? Chances are if you are like me it has; well have you ever thought of a weekend getaway or cheap city breaks? Traveling on a budget is one of the ways that I love to travel the most. My wife and I rarely stay at the same place twice when...
Injured? Where should you turn?
This may sound a little alarming, but being injured is something no-one likes to go through, but serious ones could harm your ability to work and therefore earn money. Thankfully, injuries of that nature are rare, but those that do happen often have dire consequences. Those affected by such injuries often have to leave work, and as a result, their main source of income is gone, making paying for food, utility bills and everything else far more challenging. Even if you can’t work, you still have to pay the same price for everything. Fortunately, if you’re seriously injured through no...
Ingenious Ways to Save Money Whilst Visiting London
The city of London is one of the biggest cultural hotspots in the whole of Britain, with a veritable feast of activity and sightseeing to satisfy natives and tourists alike. However, being such a tourist hub it can often prove expensive to have an enjoyable and affordable day, or days, out in London. Despite this there are many cost effective solutions which allow one to have an affordable visit to London, whilst also being able to enjoy the true London experience. Many of these are listed below. Travelling in London: The cheapest and most efficient way of travelling around London...
What to look for in an online trading platform
Now days when you go to start doing something new that you do not have real any knowledge doing you sometimes resort to Google searches. Don’t worry we have all done it and it is the beauty of the technology age. Having technology at our finger tips is something that you need to get used to because it is not going away, so the only thing we can do is to harness it. You think it is a great idea to start trading and you have heard from a neighbor that their company may be involved in exchange traded commodities...